Disclaimer: All appearing characters and places belong to Namco unless otherwise specified.
The O-dai themes belong to the Zeroshii-Wa, at http/deburu98249.jog. but written correctly. If you visit, don't steal!
Setting: A few years after the game, so beware of some maturity in the chars!
Warnings: As always, Zelos. Just he alone is worth the rating. Fluff-tastic! Some angst. Flufsty? Angfly?
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Normal Version,
#6 – Invitation
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She felt herself boiling with rage, and the messenger must have been able to see it because he suddenly started moving his eyes from side to side, as a mouse searching for a safe hiding place.
"...thank you for your time," she managed to say without sounding too frustrated.
"Er... ah, he said he was extremely sorry..."
"Yes, I know."
"And that he'd make it up for –"
"Yes, I know! That's what the flowers are for, right? Tell him it's fine and that I'm not angry and that... I'll write him later. Yes?"
The young ninja nodded dumbly, wondering why she wanted him to say that she wasn't angry while she was obviously irate. But he wasn't dumb enough, so he bowed and left the room quickly.
Left alone Sheena sighed and sat down by her table, where a luxurious basket of flowers had been placed. Beautiful orchids were combined with fragrant gladiolas, a few pale-pink roses had been arranged here and there to make things livelier.
It was lovely. The sweet smell of the flowers filled the room.
Which was rather depressing, because right now she wasn't supposed to be alone; she was supposed to be with him. In his arms, perhaps. The fragrance only reminded her of him – because it wasn't what he smelled like, because the flowers were there only because he wasn't.
"Stupid Zelos," she grumbled. It wasn't supposed to be like this – the boy wasn't supposed to make the girl wait, that was the girl's job. But lately Zelos had become so busy with changing the Church of Martel that they just... hadn't been able to meet at all. Even when they managed to make an 'appointment' with each other Zelos sometimes ended up unable to attend because some nobles wanted to talk with him or because he had to deal with one or two crazy priests...
Softly playing with one of the orchids Sheena didn't feel angry anymore, just a little lonely. She had nothing to do for the next hours because she had planned on spending them with him, and now that she was alone... it was just not worth it to be angry anyway. When it came to long-term relationships Zelos was as able as a fourteen year old boy, so she would have to be the mature one...
Sighing a little once more she took an envelope that was lying on top of the table and placed it in a small drawer under the table before taking a stack of papers and placing it in front of her.
After going through a few papers, however, she seemed to change her mind and took a blank sheet, wrote a few quick lines on it and, from the envelope she had placed in the drawer, took a smaller slice of paper and placed it next to her letter.
"Take this to the Chosen," she instructed the messenger from before, "In person. You are not to leave until he gives you an answer. Understand?"
The boy nodded, bowed quickly and left. Sheena huffed and went down to her papers.
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He saw her arrive dressed, as usual in her, in traditional-yet-not-so Mizuho clothes, only much warmer than her usual outfit. She hadn't seen him yet so he raised an arm and called, waving his hand around.
"Sheeeenaaa!"
She smiled at him, and as she got closer he noticed her cheeks were flushed with the cold.
"Did you come by Rheaird?"
"Yes... it was so cold up there!"
"Of course it'd be! Its winter, you know?" Zelos Wilder sighed and his breath formed a small cloud in front of him.
Not a week ago he had been unable to go visit her when they had agreed to, and in turn a few hours later he had received a messenger from Mizuho who said not to worry, Sheena wasn't upset, she sent this letter.
The letter had read
You stupid stupid Chosen!
If you can't visit, why do you even say you will?
I send a ticket to the inauguration of the Flanoir Snow Festival. You'd better be at the gate before it starts if you know what's good for you!
No signature.
Right, so she wasn't upset? Well, it's not as if she didn't have a reason to.
And the messenger said he wouldn't leave until he answered. So much to his chagrin Zelos had to say that yes, he'd be there... and there he was, dressed in an expensive black coat lined with fur and a pink scarf threatening to cover his lovely face.
Sheena was dressed in dark purple, and around her neck and over her chest and back he wore a coffee-colored fur mantle. It had been a while since the two of them had to dress up, but the Flanoir Snow Festival was important in high-society.
So he offered her his arm and, after half-glaring at him, she took it (as it was expected in such a situation) and they started walking, surrounded by a great lot of people, into the city.
"This is the first time I've been to the Snow Festival!" she exclaimed, smiling, "I've always wanted to see the statues."
"What's so special about them? There were a few back when we came with Lloyd."
"But only a few. And they weren't very impressive, and it was summer."
"I like summers better!" the Chosen whined, "Flanoir is just too cold during the winter."
Funny, really, how he had no problems with snow during the summer, but once winter hit... it was as if his body had a built-in yearly clock scheduled for depression.
That's why he hadn't wanted to come. Meltokio wasn't expecting any snow that year. Altamira would have none, of course. He had even though of perhaps visiting Triet, and take her along of course... but she had been faster and invited him here. And he couldn't refuse.
"Chosen!" a high-pitched voice called from the side and the two turned.
"I'm so glad to see you here!" exclaimed an old woman too full of makeup. "You are always so busy during the winters!"
In spite of himself, Zelos smiled. "Well, you've got to thank her then," he motioned at Sheena with his head, "She's the one that got me here."
The woman turned to the ninja. "Oh, you must be the famous Sheena Fujihabashi!"
"Fujibayashi."
"Yes, that. Thank you so much for actually bringing the Chosen here... would you believe that every year he refuses my invitations...?"
"Oooh, really? That is so rude of you, Zelos!"
The Chosen had to turn to look at the girl. It was a little creepy to hear her talking like that.
"Well, I can't help it if my obligations kept me so far from Flanoir... and, hunny, remember that reservation at the hotel? I think we need to go check in?"
"Oh yes, indeed!" there she was again, emphasizing random words. "I'm so sorry, ma'am, but we really do need to go now!"
"Oh, don't you worry! Be sure to call me if you ever need anything!"
"Who was she?" asked Sheena once they had left her behind.
"Old woman from Meltokio with too much free time," he answered, hurrying along and hoping no one else would recognize him.
"Did you really refuse every invitation?"
"Yep! I usually visit Altamira during the winter," he grinned. "And don't worry about the hotel thing. We do have a reservation, but there's no need to go there right now... unless you're feeling –"
"Don't say it you..." instead of continuing she hit him not-so-lightly, "I bet you only got one room, too!"
"Yes, of course! Flanoir's winter is too cold babe, I was hoping you'd warm my bed a little," she hit him again.
"...pervert."
He smiled anyway. "Anyway, let's go see those statues you're so crazy about."
As they walked a feeling Zelos recognized started to take over him. It was as if everything around him was blurry, as if the entire world wanted to close onto him. Tunnel vision, he had heard it was called.
"Look at that!" Sheena cried, pointing at what looked to be a very large sculpture of a tree. "They even sculpted birds on the branches... is that an owl?"
"...seems so," he answered, though he didn't really bother to look at, "They sure have patience."
"You would've given up at the trunk."
He forced himself to laugh. "I give up at the first ball of a snow-man, hunny."
"Really? I never made one when I was little. My first snowman was when we came here, with Colette..."
"Mmmh?"
She didn't add anything else, instead dragging him towards the next snow sculpture, a depicting of a pair of horses at full gallop. She said something, he just squeezed her hand.
"Isn't it wonderful?" she asked at the feet of a snow-palace.
"Wouldn't want to live there," he answered and rubbed his eyes.
"Look at that one!" she almost dragged him to the next one, "It's a mermaid. It's beautiful! I think I like this one best so far."
"How can you run with those heels?" he heard himself asking through the haze that was his mind.
"What does that have to do with anything?" the girl looked at the statue again, "It's as if it was at the middle of a sea of snow."
"...wouldn't want to go there... and there are better-done pieces..." he muttered.
The girl eyed him a little strangely.
His brain felt so far away now, it seemed to him that he was suddenly looking at his life from outside – as if he was just one more character, unable to go against the narrator.
What was he doing? Where was he? Suddenly it all was so insignificant, so absurd. He felt tiny, small in comparison with everything.
"...a lion," said Sheena after they had walked a few minutes in silence, "Isn't it weird to see a lion made of snow?"
He didn't answer at first. Sheena's voice had pulled him down again, which he was thankful for, even if his mind was still trying to go away. So he felt compelled to say something...
"Well, there are white tigers, right?" ...even if it came out as stupid at that.
But if he went and just said 'I'm thankful for your tugging at my sleeve like a little kid' he'd sound much worse.
It was obvious by now though that Sheena had noticed something was wrong. She kept glaring his way every now and then and almost completely stopped commenting on the statues she liked. He first tried to think of something funny to say, then of something to say, then he tried to think, period, but his mind had slowed down too much and Sheena was walking a few steps ahead...
...which were too many.
"Wow..." he managed to hear her exclaim in a low voice and he tried to focus on whatever she was watching.
Reality rushed back at him.
The statue in front of them was probably one of the show's main events – the quality of the sculpting was far above any other he had seen and it was illuminated by a pair of lamps that shone upon it in crystalline white and carmine red bars.
The state represented a woman sitting on a chair, looking up at the sky with an expression which he believed was longing, as if falling down a hand was almost resting on her lap, the other was still up in the air.
She had given up, he thought. She was encased by bars of blood-red light and she had given up calling and trying to escape and that's why her hands were falling to her sides.
"I'm... not feeling very well," Zelos said softly, a hand going to his head. "I'll go on to the hotel. You just... stay here and enjoy yourself."
He didn't wait for her to answer: he was suddenly feeling so very, very tired, and so very, very empty; which was worse than feeling sad.
Without really noticing the changes in the scenery around him he walked to the inn, looking at his feet following each other over the snow. He picked his key at the counter; he went up the stair, searched his room and left his gloves, coat and scarf over a little table before dropping down onto the bed and staring at the wall and whatever was beyond it.
He wasn't sure how much later it was – but not so much, he guessed – when the door opened again and someone stepped inside. By the sound of her footsteps he knew it was Sheena, but then again who else would it be?
"Aren't you going to go to the inauguration speech?" she asked, walking across the room and into the little bathroom. Her tones were icy.
He didn't answer.
"Honestly, Zelos! We come all the way here and you bury yourself in the room!"
He still didn't answer. Perhaps he wasn't listening at all.
No, he was. But he no words came to him.
"...Zelos?" she asked, her voice sounding a little warmer than before. The mattress shifted and he felt her arms going under his, hugging to his chest. "Are you really not feeling well?"
He shook his head.
"And I was thinking you were just being a big baby."
"...hey!"
"Starting to wake up?"
He shrugged.
"So? Are you really not feeling well or are you just in a bad mood or something?"
"...both?"
"Why do you ask me!"
"Well, I can't help it!" he half-whined, "I... well, you know how my mother died, right?"
She didn't answer, but it was fairly obvious she knew. She was a ninja from Mizuho – they had the best information web in the entire world. And what the newspapers used to call the 'Meltokio Winter Tragedy' was too famous an incident for her not to know.
"I tend to get a little depressed at this time of the year..." so he continued, "It's kinda... biological now, I think. I got a headache, even."
"...I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd feel like this when I invited you."
"You had no way of knowing, and you wanted to come, right?" he took one of her hands and lightly squeezed it before letting go. "So don't worry, I'll just... take a nap, and you go and have a good time."
He didn't wait long for an answer. "...you idiot!"
"What!"
"What what! Isn't it obvious?"
"No it's not! I'm telling you to go enjoy yourself and you insult me? Aah, I'm so unloved at times..."
"Cut the drama!" she patted one of his arms, "Did you think I invited you to see the snow?"
"...yes? I mean, that was the idea. To see the snow sculptures?"
"No! I... I missed you, fine?" he could tell she was blushing by the way she burrowed her face into his back, "Invitations are for people to meet. Forget about the festival and all that... if it makes you feel bad then we can stay inside, I don't particularly care. I invited you to see you."
He took her hands into his and squeezed them tightly.
She was the only one who could make him feel when his barriers fell down.
"...can we take a nap then?"
"Now you're being a baby..."
"Awww, c'moooon!"
"Only a little! If you sleep too much now you won't feel sleepy at night."
"And why's that bad?"
"Because I have to share the bed with you!"
"...and how is that bad?"
"...just sleep already, idiot."
He laughed a little while turning around to hug her. As he had predicted she was blushing red – not unlike her face earlier on, flushed by the cold.
Only this time he knew she wasn't feeling cold, because he sure as hell wasn't.
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Notes: Exams and essays ate my life alive even though it cried for its life. But now I'm a little more free.
I have mixed feelings about this O-dai so I won't comment much. I just hope the characters came across as a little more mature than in the game without being too dramatically different... er... well, I think I got it right at some points and wrong at some others.
I've changed the title, too! It was going to be "Memento" but there are like three other fics called "Moments" and "Memories" and its too similar, so I went with "treasure" because of my karate prof. used to say, which is the quote in the summary.
Thanks to all the wonderful wonderful reviewers! I promise I'll try to answer with the new OMG reply system from now on. Depending on how busy I am I may or may not be able to answer to everyone, but I'll try!
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed,
WDR
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#7 – Wish
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